


Song of White Clouds and Crimson Flowers

by brooklynapple



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Canon Compliant, Crimson Flower Route, Edelthea Week (Fire Emblem), F/F, Friends to Lovers, dorothea sings for edelgard, how to fall in love without realizing it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:53:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22779010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brooklynapple/pseuds/brooklynapple
Summary: Edelgard has no time for music. This is the story of all the times Dorothea sings for her anyway.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Edelgard von Hresvelg
Comments: 5
Kudos: 40





	Song of White Clouds and Crimson Flowers

**Author's Note:**

> Written belatedly for #EdeltheaWeek 2020.

Edelgard has no time for music. As the newly-minted leader of the Black Eagle House at Garreg Mach Academy, she is tasked with leading a group of the Empire’s most promising young leaders to excel. As the heir to the Adrestian Empire, she must prepare to be the strong leader her nation needs. And unbeknownst to all but a few, as the scarred, white-haired bearer of the Crest of Flames, she is driven to overthrow the corrupt, monstrous system of bloodlines and crests that tortured her and countless others. 

A frivolous luxury like music has no place in Edelgard’s plans. And yet she finds herself pulled toward the Garreg Mach chapel on this evening early in Great Tree Moon, drawn by the sound of a lilting, soaring voice echoing in the cavernous space. 

The chapel is empty this time of night, dimly lit by only a few candles and the moonlight pouring through the stained glass to fall on the altar. Edelgard pauses at the back row of pews, arrested by the sight of the auburn-haired young woman standing in a moonbeam, voice lifted in the most gorgeous aria Edelgard has ever heard. 

She sings for the sheer delight of it, eyes closed and head thrown back, reveling in the power of her voice and the hopeful beauty of the song she’s chosen, a paean to new beginnings and possibilities. 

Edelgard cannot look away, momentarily forgetting the thousand tasks she had planned to accomplish before bed. As the song comes to an end, she brings her gloved hands together in quiet applause. 

The singer starts for a moment upon realizing she isn’t alone, and then smiles and sinks into a graceful curtsy upon catching sight of Edelgard. 

“Dorothea, I knew you were an opera singer, but truly, that was exquisite. I had no idea music could sound like that.” She walks up the center aisle towards Dorothea and returns her smile.

“Why thank you, Edie, I wouldn’t have taken you for an opera fan. The acoustics in here are to die for. I had to come and try them out myself.” 

“Why did you come to Garreg Mach, when you could be doing that every night on an opera stage? There isn’t much call for singing in a military academy.” Her inquisitive purple eyes meet Dorothea’s green ones. 

“At some point, I realized there was more to life than just the opera. I knew I wouldn’t be a young diva forever. My looks and voice were going to go one day, and then my options would be to marry a rich noble, or find a way to make my mark on the world. Honestly, I’m here trying to do a bit of both.” She laughs self-deprecatingly. 

“All of us here are trying to make our marks, I think. I look forward to seeing what yours will be. And I hope we can all hear more of that voice of yours.”

“Goodness, thank you, Edie! On both counts! Now then, I know it’s getting late. Shall we head back to our rooms?” She links her arm through Edelgard’s and steers them both towards the door. Edelgard, slightly bemused, allows herself to be led along. 

***

The next time Edelgard hears Dorothea sing, she is walking through the courtyard of the monastery, on her way from the Black Eagles classroom to the dormitories. Night has fallen, and she has just finished debriefing their latest mission with the professor, in which they had accompanied Rhea’s stalwart knight Catherine to execute a minor noble of Faerghus who had plotted a rebellion against the church. It was bloody, troubling work, exposing the fanatical side of the church that executed those it perceived as traitors without a moment’s hesitation or remorse. Seeing the lengths to which the church would go to preserve its power had only hardened Edelgard’s resolve to bring it down, and as she walks she silently vows to learn as much as she can about the church’s resources and operations before she strikes. 

As she reaches the northern edge of the courtyard where it meets the monastery ramparts, she is pulled out of her thoughts by strains of a soft, mournful song rising above the normal sounds of the warm evening. It is a song of loss and regret, of saying farewell to loved ones too soon and consoling those who have been left behind. Edelgard recognizes Dorothea’s voice, and finds her gazing out over the ramparts into the black night beyond, sending her song into the void. She leans against the rampart next to Dorothea, arms resting on the cold stone, and waits for her to finish singing.

“What we did today was necessary, but I know that doesn’t make it any less hard.” It is her job as a leader to reassure her classmates, to let them know she cares about their feelings when it will help, and tell them to put those feelings aside when it won’t. Edelgard isn’t sure which of those situations applies here, yet she continues. “That was a beautiful and fitting tribute to those who fell today.”

Dorothea turns to look at her. There are tears in her emerald green eyes. “Was it really necessary? What I saw today wasn’t a threat to the church, it was a defeated man who was heartbroken over the tragic loss of his son. But Catherine cut him down without a second thought. Is that who we are? Is that what the church is?”

Edelgard takes a moment to carefully weigh her response, measuring it against what she knows of Dorothea. She comes to a decision that she hopes she does not regret. “Yes, that is exactly what the church is. But I agree with you. It is not who I want to be. What I said to you earlier about my plans for the nobility when I become emperor, it applies to the church as well. I do not intend to allow corruption or abuse of power to continue, no matter what its source.”

Dorothea regards her intently now. “If that’s truly how you feel, then why did we go along with that atrocity today? You said it was necessary - why?” Her tone and eyes plead for an answer that will soothe her despair.

“It was necessary for you all to see what the church is capable of, and what they’ll do to preserve their power. And it was necessary for me to pretend to go along with them until I’m ready to do otherwise. Maybe now that you’ve seen what the church really is, some of you will join me.” This is far more than she intended to say, but something within her wants Dorothea’s green eyes to look at her with something other than pain. She realizes too late what a dangerous impulse that is.

“Oh Edie, I’m such a fool. When I imagined myself fighting against an enemy, I thought I would be fighting for a righteous cause I was proud of. That’s how it always was in all of the operas - the hero was on the side of virtue and good, fighting against the forces of evil and corruption. But nothing in real life is that simple, is it? Sometimes people do terrible things in the name of a greater good. I don’t know if I can take being one of those people.” 

She buries her face in her hands, slumping over the rampart. Edelgard instinctively puts a comforting hand on Dorothea’s shoulder, and nearly snatches it back when she realizes what she’s done. When has she become the kind of person who offers unplanned confidences and spontaneous gestures of affection? There is no room in her plans for these things. 

And it doesn’t stop there - in response to the hand on her shoulder, Dorothea flings herself into Edelgard’s arms, hugging her tightly as Edelgard weakly embraces her back, a look of barely-restrained panic on her face. She tries to ignore the feel of Dorothea’s arms around her waist and the gentle floral smell of Dorothea’s perfume, and focuses on extracting herself from the situation with dignity. 

“You’re right, war isn’t simple, or easy, or fair. But I know you can do this. I’ve seen your strength.” She pulls back to look Dorothea in the eyes again, hands on her shoulders. “We will all have to make some hard choices in the time to come. I hope I can count on having you by my side. The future I plan to create…will be better with you in it.” She’s not sure where that last part came from, but it feels true in this moment.

Dorothea’s anguished expression softens. “Thank you, Edie. That means a lot, coming from you. I still won’t say I’m okay with what happened, but I do feel a little better.” She wipes away a tear and smiles bravely. “You’ve given me a lot to think about, but after the day we’ve all had, I think I’ll just head to bed.” She takes Edelgard’s hand and squeezes it. “Goodnight. I hope you sleep well.”

Edelgard watches her until she disappears around the corner to the dormitories. She can still detect lingering traces of Dorothea’s perfume, and realizes she has a lot of thinking to do as well.

***

_He’s gone_ , Edelgard thinks, _and I was powerless to stop it._ Fury and misery vie for dominance in her mind as the scene of Jeralt’s death plays over and over behind her closed eyes. She sees the hidden blade stab into his back, hears the strangled sound he makes as he falls, and watches her professor’s anguished tears mingle with the rain as they bend over their father’s lifeless body. War demands sacrifice, she knows that, and yet this pointless death and the pain it has caused are not part of her carefully-laid plans. The Flame Emperor’s allies have betrayed her, and she is left facing one of her worst nightmares - the realization that she has lost control of this situation.

Overwhelmed by her own failure and the professor’s crushing grief, she has sought solitude in a place where her allies rarely think to look for her - the Garreg Mach chapel. She sits hunched over in the dark in the back row of pews, elbows on her knees and head in her hands. She forces herself to take steadying breaths, unwilling to succumb to warring impulses that drive her to either destroy everything in sight or break down sobbing. Emperors-in-waiting cannot afford to do such things, and so she tries to master herself as she feels her sense of order and control start to fray.

So absorbed is she with her own internal struggle that she fails to hear soft footsteps approaching, and starts as an arm gently wraps around her shoulders and a warm presence settles next to her on the pew. The turmoil in her mind stills just a bit as the scent of familiar perfume reaches her, and she doesn’t need to look up to know who has found her. 

Dorothea says nothing, just sits next to Edelgard, one arm still resting on her shoulders. Edelgard feels Dorothea’s arm rise and fall with every breath she takes. Ever so quietly, Dorothea begins to hum a gentle melody. The tune is familiar, though Edelgard cannot quite place it. It is not until Dorothea starts softly singing that Edelgard realizes what it is.

The song Dorothea sings isn’t part of any opera - it’s a traditional folk song passed down by common folk through the generations. It’s a song of comfort and of home, of returning to a warm hearth after a long journey, a song of belonging, and being surrounded by family and friends. It speaks of a well-earned rest after a long struggle, of laying your burdens down, if just for a moment. Edelgard has heard it sung countless times by commoners in the Empire, though its message has never resonated as strongly as it does in this moment.

She sits up and looks at Dorothea, who gazes straight ahead as she sings, knowing that Edelgard would want no witnesses to her moment of weakness. Edelgard feels something crumble inside her, and she doesn’t know if it’s because of the song, or the beauty of Dorothea’s voice, or the first affectionate touch she’s had in she can’t remember how long. She leans her head against Dorothea’s shoulder and closes her eyes, feeling Dorothea wrap her arm around her just a bit tighter. They stay that way until Dorothea finishes singing. The silence in the chapel envelops them as the last echoes of the song fade away.

“That song used to make me sad when I was a girl,” Dorothea says quietly. “I never had the warm home and loving family it talks about. Even when the opera took me in, they cared about me only so long as my voice was valuable. It wasn’t until I came here that I started to feel something like that sense of belonging, with you and the Black Eagles.” Edelgard lifts her head and finds Dorothea regarding her with both sympathy and conviction. Their faces are inches apart.

“Edie. If anyone can lead us out of this, you can. I believe in you.” Edelgard opens her mouth to reply, but her words vanish as Dorothea leans in and kisses her on the cheek. Her lips are soft and warm against Edelgard’s skin. Edelgard cannot recall the last time her skin was touched by another person. For a moment she just stares, astonished. 

When she finds her voice, the words are slow to form. “I- thank you, for your faith in me. And for your song. I will do all I can to be worthy of them both.”

Dorothea smiles. “My dear Edie, don’t you know? You already are. Now come, it’s time we both got some rest.” 

She stands up and holds out her hand. Edelgard takes it.

***

_It is done,_ Edelgard thinks as she surveys the provisional Imperial camp outside of Garreg Mach. After all these months, the time for hiding and scheming is over - she has been unmasked as the Flame Emperor, and has openly declared war against the Church, the Kingdom, and the Alliance. Her carefully-laid plans are proceeding as expected, and yet - she still cannot quite believe that she is not alone in this struggle, that so many of her classmates and even their professor have joined her cause and turned their backs on the comforts of church and tradition. She had been prepared to leave them all behind, had hardened her heart against the knowledge that she would likely have to walk this path alone. She had not let herself hope otherwise, lest her strength falter and her resolve crumble when her hopes proved futile.

And yet.

Every single member of the Black Eagle class - reborn as the Black Eagle Strike Force - is here with her in this camp. Even Ferdinand, ardent supporter of the nobility, has joined her. More astonishingly, so has Petra, the former Imperial prisoner whose sharp mind and brave heart have shown her the truth and righteousness of Edelgard’s vision despite the differences between their two nations. Most humbling of all is the presence of former students from Faerghus and the Alliance, whose support Edelgard had never dreamed of counting on, but who stand by her side as proudly as those who hail from the Empire. Shy, soft-spoken Marianne has rallied to her cause, professing admiration of Edelgard and her aims, and a fervent desire to abolish the crest system even if it means dismantling the church. Mercedes has come to stand by her brother and avenge the wrongs they suffered at the hands of corrupt, uncaring nobles. Sylvain has come to make a name for himself outside of his crest, and to support the vision of a world where crests don’t matter. And Lysithea, dear Lysithea - Edelgard has only to look at her to feel the anger flare hotter in her chest and silently vow for the hundredth time that no one will ever again suffer what she and Lysithea were made to endure.

Yet there is one face that she seeks out above all others in the frantic chaos of battle preparations, the friend whose steadying presence she has come to rely on without even realizing it. Edelgard scans the crowd of soldiers and students for Dorothea, and when she finally locates her, it is not with her eyes but with her ears, as strains of music reach her from a corner of the camp.

Dorothea looks terrified as she stands amidst the beginnings of a war, but her voice is clear and strong, rising over the din. She sings a song of bravery, of inspiration, of overcoming odds. Edelgard has not had a chance to ask Dorothea about her reasons for being here, but Dorothea’s song answers her question anyway. The former students, now rebels milling nervously around the courtyard, stop at the sound of her voice and gravitate towards her, faces uplifted. They stand just a bit taller, and grasp their weapons a bit tighter. They cheer when she finishes, and go about their preparations with renewed determination. 

Edelgard has given them a cause to believe in. But it is Dorothea who has given them hope. Their eyes meet across the chaotic courtyard. Edelgard smiles and mouths “thank you”, hoping her gratitude shows in her eyes. Dorothea responds with a nod and a fist across her chest, a brave salute of loyalty. Almost as an afterthought, she blows Edelgard a kiss. Edelgard turns away before Dorothea can see her blush. One day, perhaps, she will think more about that kiss, but for now, Edelgard has no time for kisses, or music. She has a battle to prepare for, and a war to win.

**Author's Note:**

> To be concluded in Part 2: Song of Crimson Flowers
> 
> You can also find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/quorniya).


End file.
